The passing of time is constant, but you can certainly pack quite a great deal into a short time span as what we learned this past week. On Monday I shared our “Life IS Downton Abbey” story about closing up the family “Edwardian retreat“, which is being passed to a lovely couple who are excited to build their own memories there. Continue reading →

If you haven’t heard by now, RMS Titanic sank 100 years ago in the North Atlantic, officially at 2:20 a.m., on April 15, about three hours after she hit an iceberg. Media coverage this week focused on commemorative events in two cities which share the closest connection: Belfast where she was born and Halifax, where many of her passengers were buried. Commemorative events were held in both this weekend.

Today is Friday the 13th. For those who are superstitious it is a day to particularly avoid black cats and ladders. Historically Friday was considered unlucky, as well as the number 13; combine the two and you are asking for trouble. We have three this year. Today is our second Friday the 13, the last falling in June. It has been suggested that the popular novel published in 1907 titled Friday, the Thirteenth, was responsible for making the day popular. In the book, an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th.

Welcome to Tea Tuesday, the day of the week I focus on the time honored ritual of gathering for tea and a chat. I often find that a great conversation, like a good meal, takes on a wonderful life of its own, a delicious blend of flavours: personal accounts, popular media and topical news events. Today, we use the tea ritual as a common thread to connect seemingly random thoughts. I offer a new recipe each week, so check out and bookmark Online Guide to Afternoon Tea to keep up to date. Continue reading →

While many of us are celebrating Easter Monday with family and friends, enjoying the last of the hot cross buns, we are reminded that one hundred years ago today final arrangements were being made to prepare Titanic for its maiden voyage. The RMS Titanic was a British registered four funneled (only 3 worked, the other was for show) ocean liner built for the transatlantic passenger and mail service between Southampton and New York. There are many stories surfacing this week in the news about Titanic. There is also plenty to see in Prime Time. In Canada, CBC produced the docu-drama Waking the Titanic (click to view the video); The Miami Herald has a great list of the many different Titanic-based offerings.

April 14th is approaching fast for those planning to host or attend a Titanic tribute dinner. While Titanoraks (Titanic fans) pay homage annually, this year is special as it marks the 100th anniversary of the famous sinking of the unsinkable passenger liner off the Canadian coast.Tribute dinners are based on the printed menus for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class (steerage), which survived the disaster. The luxury liner boasted an impressive pantry which fed both passengers and crew: 60 tons of meat and fish products; 50 tons of fruits and vegetables; 5 tons of cereals and 40,000 eggs.

There will likely be no shortage of restaurants around the world hosting a dinner inspired by these menus. How about attending an event in Halifax, Hong Kong, or in Houston where a restaurant is offering a lovely meal for $12,000?

It was a busy night in Canada for fans of Post Edwardian period drama. Last night Vision TV delivered back-to-back episodes of the final two episodes of Season 1 of Downton Abbey, the immensely popular British drama. Coincidentally, the final episode overlapped with Part 2 of the new 4 part Titanic Miniseries. Both shows were penned by Oscar winning writer Julian Fellowes.Which you watched likely depended on whether you prefer your heartache on land or at sea. You better sit for this part. These shows are called dramas for a reason. On Downton Abbey, while Cora loses a baby, and two sisters are spurned, we discover that all that drama is overshadowed by the start of World War I. Meanwhile on Titanic, class clashes in close quarters on the famed luxury ship are heightened by an iceberg with Titanic’s name on it. Continue reading →

Formal entertaining is like cooking on steroids. It can be stressful enough planning an informal gathering, but we can thank the Edwardians for setting the bar pretty high for formal dining, when we work particularly hard to impress. We can see from the dining scenes on Downton Abbey, entertaining was serious business: a carefully calculated visual display of wealth and influence.

I didn’t sleep well last night. It must have been something I ate, more like something I watched. It appears that Canada is the first to view Titanic, perhaps in recognition of our involvement of rescue and recovery efforts. The first course of the four part Titanic mini-series was served across Canada last night, and well, was lacking something. I was hoping that infusing the writing talents of head chef Julian Fellowes into this drama which would satisfy my appetite for Downton Abbey, currently out of season. Julian is a self-proclaimed Titanorak (Titanic junkie) which lends credibility to his involvement in the project. Continue reading →

April 14th marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. On Sunday, April 14, 1912 at 11:40 pm, Titanic struck a giant iceberg and by 2:20 am on April 15, the “unsinkable ship” was gone. Canadians have a special connection to Titanic: the great ship sank in the chilly waters south of Newfoundland, and Canadian vessels were involved in the recovery efforts. Over 100 victims of the Titanic are buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Halifax. Continue reading →